Pervez Masih intercepted the suicide bomber in the doorway, and the bomber self-detonated right outside the crowded hall, spraying many of his explosive vest’s arsenal of ball bearings out into the parking lot instead of into the cafeteria.

On October 20, two suicide bombers launched near simultaneous attacks on both the men’s and women’s side of the campus. “Between 300 to 400 girls were sitting in there, when Pervez Masih rose above the barriers of caste, creed and sectarian terrorism. Despite being a Christian, he sacrificed his life to save the Muslim girls.” Masih was a member of Pakistan’s Christian minority, traditionally one of the poorest communities in the country.

Slaughtering Christians is common in Pakistan

According to eyewitness accounts, the attacker approached disguised in women’s clothing. He shot the guard on duty, and then approached the cafeteria, which was packed with hundreds of female students. “If Masih didn’t stop the suicide attacker, there could have been great, great destruction.” H/T saddlesmania

Pakistani Christians are horribly persecuted by Pakistani Muslims on a regular basis.